Sterilizing-sink.



No. 653,7l4. Patentedzluly I7, 19'00.

L. w. THunMAN.

STE'RILIZlNG SINK.

(Application led. Jan. 27, 1900.)

(No Model.)

/WML

vn: nokms Evans co, Pvoroufno. WASHINGTON. o. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

LILLY lV. THURMAN, OF HARRISBRG, PENNSYLVANIA.

STERILIZING-SINK.

SPECIFICATION forming` part of Letters Patent No. 653,714, dated July 17, 1900.

Application i'iled January 27, 1900. Serial No. 3,006. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LILLY W. THURMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Sterilizing-Sink, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sinks in general, and more particularly to those employed in sterilizing surgical instruments, although from the following description it Will be seen that the principles involved may be employed for other purposes.

The object of the invention is to provide a sink having means for supplying steam thereto in a manner to cause it to act directly upon the instruments to be sterilized or to heat the cleansing liquid to a high temperature, the instruments being contained in a foraminous tray.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which similar numerals of reference designate like and corresponding parts in the several views, Figure l is a plan view showing a sink equipped in accordance with the present invention, the location of the foraminous tray being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the sink on line 2 2 of Fig. I. Fig. 3is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the foraminous tray.

Referring now to the drawings, 5 represents a sink, which is preferably of porcelain or similar material and having an oifset portion 6 at one side for the accommodation of the usual drain-pipe stopper 7, which controls the flow of water from the sink into the drain-pipe 8, which latter is of the usual construction. This sink 5 may be supported in any suitable manner; but in the present instance there are employed legs 9 adjacent the front edges, while the rear portion of the sink is supported upon a bracket l0, adapted for attachment to the wall of an apartment, this bracket 10 having an angle-iron 1l secured thereto to prevent rearward movement of the sink. One of these brackets may be employed at each side of the offset portion 6.

.At one end of the sink 5 is disposed an inclined drain-board 12, having drain grooves or channels 13, and having its contracted lowermost ond curved downwardly at 14 over the edge of the sink at one end thereof. This drain-board is supported by an arm 15, secured'to the wall or in any other suitable manner, and at each side of the offset 6 of the 'sink is awater-supply pipe 16 and 17, respectively, havingfaucets 18 and 19, these pipes 16 and l7.being adapted to supply hot and cold water to the sink.

At one end of the sink 5 and in the bottom thereof, preferably in the end next the drainboard, are formed openings through which are passed steam-supply pipes 2O and 2i, having regulating-valves 22 and 23, the upper endsof these pipes having elbows 24, with which are connected perforated pipes 25. These pipes 25 are mutually parallel and lie also parallel with the bottom of the sink and in a horizontal plane, the outer ends of the pipes being connected by a return connection 26, against which bears a support 27, resting upon the bottom of the sink.

In connection with the structure described is employed a foraminous tray 28, which is adapted to rest upon the flanges of the elbows 24 and connection 26, this tray being adapted to receive the surgical instruments or other articles that are to be sterilized.

In practice when it is desired to subject the articles to the action of direct steam the tray is disposed as illustrated in the drawings and the articles are placed therein. Either or both of the valves 22 and 23 are -then opened and the steam passes through the perforations of the pipes 25 and through the openings of the tray, where it has direct sterilizing action. lhen the instruments or other articles are to be sterilized by indirect action of steam,a suitable amount of water is drawn into the tank from either or both of the faucets 18, so as to cover the articles. The valves 22 and 23 are then opened, and the Water is heated to a high temperature and with the desired effect.

It will of course be understood that when desired the tray may be removed and the articles placed directly within the sink, and also that when the tray is removed the sink may be employed for ordinary uses, the drainboard l2 being adapted to receive the articles after treatment in the usual manner.

practice the sink may be made of any suitable material and of any size, and any suit- ICO InY

1. The combination with a sink having Water-supply and drain pipes, of steam-supply pipes leading thereinto through the bottom thereof, parallel steam-discharge pipes Within the sink and connected with the supplypipes at one end and connected to each other at their opposite ends, said discharge-pipes lying in a common horizontal plane and having radial discharge-Openings, a support for the mutually-connectcd ends ofthe discharge- 2. A steruiZing-Sinkadapd to hold water and having steam-supply pipes leading there-v into, parallel discharge-pipes'within the sink and connected with the supply-pipes at one end and mutually connected at their opposite ends, said discharge-pipes having perforations, a support for the mutually-connected ends of the pipes, separate means for regulating the iiow of steam through the sup ply-pipes, and a foraminous receptacle disposed upon and supported by the dischargepipes for holding the articles to be treated.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LILLY W. THURMAN. Witnesses:

WM. C. ARMOR, J. MAY THURMAN. 

